Shoetree



Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Rosenthal executrix of M. Rosenthal, deceased the estate of said Levi Application July 13, 1934, Serial No. 734,881

5 Claims.

My invention relates to a new and improved shoe-tree.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a shoe tree, which can be cheaply and economically constructed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of this type which is flexible and resilient throughout, so that when the device is inserted into the shoe, the device can change its shape so as to maintain the shoe distended and in proper position.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved and economical method of making this device.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the following description and drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe, showing the device in position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved device.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the improved device.

Fig. 4 is a View on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified device, this 1 being a bottom plan view which is similar to Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view along the line 68 of Fig. 5. The device generally comprises a shell I, which is stamped or drawn from any suitable flexible and resilient metal. This shell I has a cross section which is shaped like an arch, so that it is bendable and resilient throughout.

If desired, the shell I could be made of celluloid or any other suitable resilient material. In 1 fact, I prefer to use celluloid, since it can be shaped very readily, and the celluloid can be suitably decorated.

The other member of the device comprises a single strip of resilient metal wire or rod. This resilient member has two outer legs 3f, and these legs terminate in an inwardly and downwardly turned loop 39. When the device is inserted into the shoe, the loop 39 bears against the adjacent part of the arch of the shoe S, as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, the legs 3f are provided with curved or loop portions, which curve around the fastening members 2. Said fastening members 2 are passed through the shell I, and through an outer reinforcing strip Sa, which may be made of metal or other material which is preferably fairly rigid, so that it is much less bendable than the material of the member I. Said outer plate Sa is fiat or planar, and the corresponding part of the shell is also flat or planar.

The fastening members 2 may be rivets or screws and nuts, or any other suitable devices, and they clamp the loop portions 3a into position, so that the entire member 3 is held to the shell I by means of said fastening members 2. 5 The loops 3a are partial loops, and each of said loops has the general shape of a U.

Beyond the fastening members 2, each part of the member 3 is now curved downwardly, so as to form a U-shaped loop 31). The loops 3a substantially abut the inner surface of the shell I. Adjacent the loops 3a, the inner surface of the shell I is substatially planar. The shell thus has a planar portion at the top of its rear end, and this planar portion is more rigid than the rest of the shell, and this planar portion is either wholly or partially free from contact with the upper of the shoe, when the device is inserted. This rear portion prevents the rear of the shell from buckling, while the rigid portion does not push against the soft leather of the upper, thus avoiding any injury to said soft leather.

The legs 3h of the member 3 are inclined downwardly and outwardly, toward the edge of the shell I. Said legs 3h are now continued to form loops 30, each of said loops 30 being substantially closed. The legs 3d of the member 3 are then continued along the inner surface of the shell, and substantially following with the inner surface of said shell, but without contacting with said inner surface. However the leg 3d, or any other part or parts of the resilient reinforcing device may contact with, or press forcibly against, any part of the shell, in order to outwardly stress the shell, and keep the shell expanded from its original shape.

The legs 3d are then bent inwardly, so as to form end members 3e. The members 3e generally conform to the shape of the shell, so that each of said members 36 has the shape of a portion of an arch.

When the device is inserted into the shoe, the bottoms of the loops 3c abut the bottom of the shoe, that is, the inner surface of the sole of the shoe, and the shell I is pushed into the toe-portion of the shoe.

The flexibility of the device permits it to follow the contour of the upper, and to distend the upper. The downwardly bent loop 3g maintains the shell in its expanded condition, so that the shell serves to press against and maintain the toe portion of the shoe in distended form. The rear of the top of the shell has a planar shape, in order to avoid injuring the soft leather and lining. This loop abuts the inside surface of the 55 sole of the shoe either in front of the arch of the shoe, or at the front end of the arch of the shoe, to prevent the arch from being bent or injured by the pressure.

The bottom edge of the shell does not touch the inner surface of the sole, save perhaps at the extreme tip of the shoe, as the bottoms of the loops 3c keep the rear end of the shell above the sole of the shoe.

It will be noted that the bottom of the shell covers about ths of the loops 30, so that only th or even less of each of said loops is exposed. This may be varied.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, a bottom plate I0 is provided, which is located at the inner surface of the shell I. The bottom plate ID is connected to the shell I by means of the fastening members 2. The bottom plate 10 is provided with recesses, through which extend the legs ma of the member 3, said legs lfla being continuations of the legs 3 Said legs Illa follow the inner surface of the shell, and said legs ifia may abut said inner surface or be spaced therefrom. The legs 10a are continued into the members 30, 3d and 3e, the last mentioned members being similar to the parts which have been previously described with the use of the same reference numerals, in Fig. 3. The fiat outer plate So. is also used in the embodiment of Fig. 5.

I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions could be made Without departing from its spirit.

It is clear that the rear of the device is provided with resilient and laterally curved or archlike reinforcingmeans, which are stronger than the material of the shell itself. Likewise the shell is provided with longitudinal reinforcing means, and with laterally curved reinforcing means intermediate the ends of said shell. These constructional features can be used either in whole or in part. This construction makes it possible to use resilient material for making the shell, such as celluloid or the like, said material not having the necessary rigidity for the purpose desired. The spaced reinforcing means impart the necessary resilience and rigidity to the device, and the construction shown makes it possible to manufacture the device very cheaply. Likewise, the bottom edge of the shell is protected against distortion, because the rounded ends of the rear arch-like reinforcement take up the stress. Hence the shell acts as a resilient and yielding shaping member, whose smooth outer surface will not injure the soft leather or lining of the shoe, and the inner reinforcement supplies the necessary strength for the device. Since the resilient device may be oversized, when said device is forced into the shell, it tends to slightly expand or open the arch-shaped shell by forcing apart the side-walls of said shell. Hence the assembled device is springy and resilient, when it is pushed into the shoe, so that the slight contraction of the shell is fully taken up by the resilient reinforcement.

I claim:

1. A shoe tree comprising a resilient shell, a resilient metal reinforcing device connected to said shell, said device having downwardly and outwardly extending legs at the rear portion of the shell, said legs being continued to form loops which project below the bottom edge of said shell, said loops being continued to form members which extend towards the front end of said shell.

2. A shoe tree comprising a resilient shell, a resilient metal reinforcing device connected to said shell, said device having downwardly and outwardly extending legs at the rear portion of the shell, said legs being continued to form loops which project below the bottom edge of said shell, said loops being continued to form members which extend towards the front end of said shell, said last mentioned legs being continued to form lateral extensions whose contour generally corresponds to the contour of the corresponding adjacent portion of said shell.

3. A shoe tree comprising a resilient and tapered shell, said shell having a resilient reinforcing member connected thereto, said reinforcing member comprising a single strip of resilient metal which is connected to said shell at the rear end of said shell, said reinforcing member having separated legs which extend outwardly from the rear end of said shell and which terminate in a closed and downwardly and inwardly bentloop, said metal member having legs which are continued from the point at which said metal member is connected to said shell, said continuation legs being outwardly and downwardly bent. said legs being continued to form loops which extend below the bottom edge of the shell, said loops being continued to form legs which extend towards the front of the shell and which are located above the bottom edge of the shell.

4. A shoe tree comprising an arch-shaped shell, said shell having inner and laterally curved and resilient reinforcing means at its rear end, said reinforcing means projecting below the bottom edge of the shell to an extent suflicient to abut the sole of the shoe, said shell also having laterally curved and arch-shaped resilient reinforcing means intermediate the front and rear ends of said shell, said arch-shaped means being connected to said first mentioned reinforcing means by longitudinal members which are close to the side-edges of the shell.

5. A shoe tree comprising a resilient and bendable shell whose transverse contour is arch-like, the top rear end of said shell having a transverse portion which is more rigid than the body of said 'shell, said transverse portion being fiat and planar.

LEVI M. ROSENTHAL. 

